Wedding Customs

Here are some interesting stories behind some common wedding customs.

Diamond Engagement Ring

In medieval Italy, precious stones were seen as part of the groom's payment for the bride. The groom would give a gift of such stones, which symbolized his intent to marry her.

The Ring Finger

The second finger on the left hand is considered the ring finger. All engagement and wedding rings are worn there because centuries ago it was believed to be connected by a vein directly to the heart.

The Bridal Shower

This custom is believed to have started in Holland, where legend has it that a disapproving father would not provide his daughter with a dowry. Her friends provided her with the essential dowry by "showering" her with gifts.

The Bachelor Party

In the fifth century, in Sparta, military comrades would feast and toast one another on the eve of a friend's wedding.

The Wedding Ring

The idea of the wedding ring itself dates back to ancient times, when a cave-man husband would wrap circles of braided grass around his bride's wrists and ankles, believing it would keep her spirit from leaving her body. The bands evolved into leather, carved stone, metal, and later silver and gold.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Will you be wearing each one of these on your wedding day? Old is for ties to her past, new represents good fortune and
success, borrowed symbolizes family and friend's love and support, and blue is for faithfulness and loyalty.

The Best Man And Ushers

Another throw back to cave man days, the "groom" would take a group of friends (fellow hunters) with him in pursuit of the
bride to help him capture her. Often, the bride was "kidnapped" from a protective family which typically included a few big brothers. If the groom wanted to show that he meant business, he took along the "best man" for the job of helping him fight for his love.

The Maid Of Honor And Bridesmaids

These were the women who helped the bride get away from her overprotective family and other suitors so that she could be captured by the groom she wanted.

Giving Away The Bride

Back when a daughter was considered her father's possession, some formal transfer was necessary during the wedding ritual. Today, the custom symbolizes the parents' acceptance of the brides passage from child to adult, and a sign of their blessing of her marriage to her chosen groom.

Throwing Rice

The tradition of throwing began in the orient. Rice (which symbolizes fertility) was thrown at the married couple in the hope
that this would bring a marriage yielding many children. This custom is rarely practiced today.

The Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes originated in ancient Rome, where bread was broken over the brides head to symbolize hope for a fertile and fulfilling life. Guests would eat the crumbs, believing them to be good luck. The custom found it's way to England in the Middle Ages. Guests brought small cakes to a wedding; the cakes were put in a pile, where the bride and groom later stood over and kissed. Apparently, someone came up with the idea of piling all the cakes together and frosting them, creating an early ancestor of the multi-tiered wedding cakes of today.

Bride & Groom Cut The Cake

Cutting and feeding each other the Wedding Cake symbolizes how the couple will nourish their relationship for the rest of their lives. It is meant as a loving and caring gesture. As for smearing cake into each other's face? That's another story!

Tossing The Bouquet And Garter

This dignified custom began in the thirteen hundreds in France, where the guests used to chase the bride and tear off her
garter because they believed it was good luck. To save herself, her leg, and her dress, the bride began removing it voluntarily and tossing it into the eager crowd. Later, the bouquet was added to this toss. The lucky recipient of the bouquet is now believed to be the next woman in the group to get married. The man who catches the garter is supposed to be the next groom.

The Honeymoon

The bride and groom's honeymoon hasn't always been a post-wedding vacation together, as it is today. The word actually
originated in northern Europe from a tradition involving wine made from mead and honey. In order to bring good luck, the
newlywed couple drank the "honey wine" for a month after the wedding. Since months were often measured as a cycle of the moon, this period of time after the wedding became know as the honeymoon.

Carrying The Bride Across The Threshold

Another wedding custom traced to Italy, the bride was carried across the threshold because she appeared reluctant to enter the bridal chamber. In those days, a proper lady wouldn't be too anxious about consummating her marriage. If you ask me it was a great way to build anticipation.

Another legend is that the bride was carried over the threshold to protect her from any evil spirits lingering around.